


The Archives

by mikester



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: ....well, Henry Stein Saves Everyone, Joey Drew being a Jerk, M/M, Other, check out my soundcloud boi, some soft gay kiss scene, the joey tag is funny oml
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22992205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikester/pseuds/mikester
Summary: It's the same old same old. Henry Stein, old animator, stuck in the constant time loop of a comic. Well, he isn't sure if it's constant. It's confusing. But one thing's for sure; this timeline is going to be different.
Relationships: Joey Drew/Henry Stein, its implied - Relationship
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Endereye96 had a fic on Wattpad that brought this idea back up to the surface of my mind to kudos to them.

_"He was there for his beginning.. but he's never seen..."_

"The End," Henry muttered under his breath, staring down at the old looking tape in his hands. He heard short growl from above him, which caused him to look up. There he stood, the Ink Demon, the king of the dark studio. Henry felt his heart jump.   
Bendy had transformed into a terrifying beast, then chased him through the ink machine's interior. Henry had tripped over his bruised ankle a few times.  
As he ran back into the throne room, the tape in his sweaty hands, a certain thought entered Henry's mind...

Had he already done this before?

Henry's thoughts then went utterly apeshit. Everything from the past- week, year, possibly decade struck the man. he remembered _everything_ in the short few seconds he had before Bendy came running in behind him. Henry looked down at the tape in his hands, his reach nearing the projector. He froze.  
He's never frozen before. He'd never not... put the tape in the projector. So what would happen? He's tried everything in the loops. But never this...

Henry spun on his heel to Bendy, who only stared back with his mouth gaping open and his sharp teeth dangerously close. Henry took the tape on both sides and ripped it apart, throwing them onto the ground. Bendy's face seemed to grow... worried.  
Henry huffed, staring wide eyed down at what he had done. He... he broke it. He broke the only way to kill the ink demon.  
Bendy backed away, his body shrinking down to his smaller form. As he did, a broken sounding laugh emerged from his inky throat, sounding distorted and inhuman. In-demon. What?  
" **You broke it!** " he howled with laughter, "I can' believe it! You... Oh ho ho.. The **one** object down here that- that could stop me! You finally broke it! Finally!..."

Henry could barely understand him. His voice sounded so familiar, but so broken. It sounded mostly like grunts and screeches, or gurgles and chokes. Henry couldn't figure out what went where.   
The demon slowly limped up to Henry, all the while he fell back into the soft throne of the demon. Bendy's smile was all Henry saw as he grabbed his neck and strangled him. _"Back you go now..."_ An odd voice spoke. Was it.... Jo....

Henry blinked. Death, ink tunnel, back. He was alive. At least, he hoped he was.  
Henry touched his face a few times, just to make sure he still had all his [deviously handsome] features. He smiled softly. Then the thoughts came back, flowing like ink into his mind... The loop. He was stuck in a loop. And he had just destroyed the last reel. Henry smacked himself on the head, turning back for the throne room inside the ink machine. As he did, the door closed shut. He couldn't get in..  
No big deal! The timeline just hadn't reset yet.

Henry waited a moment... then he started to tap his foot. He really fucked everything up. How.. How... How? How... Bendy spoke now? Strange...He had- so many memories, thoughts, ideas that didn't sound like his own! He..   
Henry felt so... clueless. 

Henry sighed and turned around, heading back to the vault. He started to wade through the inky ravine, staring over at the small docks. He saw something stumbling around in the dark, which made him... curious.  
"Hello?" Henry called out, receiving an awkward yelp in reply. He raised his eyebrow and quickly trudged faster.  
"Anyone up there? Can you pull me up?"

He paused for a moment, before an inky hand reached down to grab him. Henry reacted quick, and grabbed the other tightly. As he was pulled up, Henry couldn't stop thinking. What had he done..?  
He was torn from those thoughts as he met the faceless face of Sammy Lawrence. Henry yelled and nearly fell back into the ink. Sammy grabbed on to his suspenders, and pulled him up.  
There was an awkward pause.  
"Henry?"  
Henry's golden eyes widened. "You... remember me?

Sammy's head turned, making the man look down. He then looked up at Henry. "I guess I do."  
"What do you remember?" Henry asked desperately.  
"I... The pipe burst," Sammy shook his head, "Ink got in my mouth. Then it started... started to show me things. I guess I... I don't know. I tied up some kid and a few workers.."  
"A kid?" Henry questioned.  
"Shh," Sammy shushed with the same enthusiasm as he had when Henry was tied up, "I don't know. I... did some things, got killed and- now I'm covered in ink, half naked, without a face." Sammy grumbled.

Henry snorted quietly, inching around the music director. "I see that good ol' Sammy is back?"  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sammy squawked, turning to Henry quickly. "And where are you going? You aren't leaving!"

Henry suspiciously stared at Sammy, "And why not?"  
"B-Because! I... Uh.. Well,"He tapped his chin, ink sticking to his hand, "I suppose... now that my mind is semi-free from the grasps of my l-ink... demon.. I don't HAVE to sacrifice you..."  
Henry sighed.  
"Doesn't mean I don't WANT to, though."  
Henry immediately turned and bolted off into the vault. He could hear Sammy's bare, inky feet slapping against the wooden ground from behind. With his whole 'practically broken' ankle situation, Henry couldn't run as fast as he wanted. As he burst into the waiting area near the receptionist desk, Henry fell and rolled to the side. He didn't intend to roll, it was just instinct. Henry gasped, his lungs burning and his ankle feeling like it had been stomped on by an elephant.

Sammy emerged into the room. If he had a mouth, he most likely would be smirking. "Henry! Oh, I was playing with you. I'm not used to having my own mind back," He laughed, "C'mon, big guy, get up!"  
Henry leaned back onto the wood, sprawling his limbs out. He huffed. "Sammy-"  
"I know! I know! I'm still a crazed lunatic cultist who can easily turn on you like that!" Sammy said boldly.  
Henry looked up at him, then laid his head back down again. "-I was gonna say I don't know where Alice and Tom went. But, that works too."  
  
Sammy made a whine like noise, then stomped over to Henry. "Get up! I don't want to have to climb back up the studio alone! Those- those things! They'll kill me! After what I did. I'm a dead man! Henry, oh, please," Sammy moaned, "Please just at least take me back to the music department. I'll be safer up there. Then I'll let you roam free, my little sheep..."  
Henry rolled into his side, jamming his fist into Sammy's knee. "Help me up." He muttered.   
Sammy made a satisfactory 'ah-ha' and grabbed onto Henry's arm, lifting the male up. He let him regain his balance before marching off to the exit. Henry limped behind.

"That's a long way up!" Sammy said.  
"Obviously..."  
"How do we- ah! A rope! How convenient!"

The musician appeared to try and take a step forward, then he froze.   
Henry tilted his head, "Can you not- walk in ink?"  
Sammy shook his head. "No- it's too big of a risk. Besides, I don't trust you to pull me out. Grant isn't... "  
Henry nodded to Sammy with a small smile. He stepped in the ink, his leg sinking down. He slowly walked to the rope, then climbed up it a bit. He started to swing himself back and forth, back and forth, until he was able to kick himself to the wall. He grabbed Sammy, who grabbed the rope once close, and the two men climbed up.

"Who's Grant?" Henry asked as they walked through the lost one's town. Sammy looked at him.  
"Grant? Oh, the accountant. He... we were close." 

Henry smiled, "You had a friend, huh?"  
Sammy shook his head, then shrugged. "We... Well, I suppose so, shee- erm, Henry. He was the... only person who didn't scream when I screamed back, Everyone said he was an even bigger hot head than me! It was- oh, over here, Henry," Sammy stopped and turned to where he had rushed out earlier to greet Henry. Henry stared at the opening before walking with him.  
Sometimes, in other timelines, Sammy rushed out of there. Other times, he ran from other doors in the small time. And other other times, it was a lost one, or Susie, or Jack. Those were times when Henry had tried to save people. Times where his memory returned before the end. Henry sighed quietly.   
"Anyways," Sammy finished, "You- weren't listening, eh? Good."  
Henry scowled at the ink man, who giggled under the art medium. 

  
"Now! Let us walk!" 


	2. The Ink Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bendy: >:(

**"How."**

Bendy stared at the ground, his inky hand rubbing his head....How?  
Everything felt different now. It probably wasn't noticeable at all to some, but to the Ink Demon, he could feel the quick change of-- the air, for example.

The _air_ felt different. The fucking _air._

The demon hissed and threw a projector that was at his feet across the room. He stood with rage. It was new. Too new. Henry- Henry always changed things around. He saved Sammy, he kept Susie alive, he even tried to climb back up to the exit. But never in his inky life had Henry tried to do something differently towards the end of the final chapter...

It was all him. His mind, his thoughts, even the way Henry had turned and stared at Bendy with such confidence. He had given Henry too much freedom, too much power over his own mind. He... Henry, Henry was starting to realize it now! Of course! It only took him over a billion loops! Just to find out what he was truly created to do. _Destroy him_. That's what was so different. Henry _knew._ He was _aware_. He didn't seem to know it, of course. Henry didn't go _that_ far with this new ending... He must not fully know.  
The demon reached down to the broke reel, reaching for the tape. Maybe he could...

The film glowed a bright gold, instantly shocking Bendy. He hissed, falling back into his throne. 

No...

 _Henry did know, **didn't he**_?

"Alice! Tom!" Henry called out into the studio as Sammy and him climbed up a set of stairs. It was... utterly exhausting. He didn't know the true feeling he felt. He just was drained. Drained of everything. And, he was hungry.   
"Almost there, sheep!" Sammy called back with a giggle, stepping up the last two steps with an odd sway in his hips. "Perhaps your angel and her dog are up here, too." 

Henry followed Sammy, lagging behind the musician. He wasn't skeptical. In fact, he even trusted the other. It was the exhaustion that made his body weak. Sammy seemed to be overly excited about this all. Henry was simply taking him up to the music department, then leaving peacefully. Simple.. simple..

"Henry! My lord, you can not just- fall asleep!" Sammy cried out, holding Henry up by the shoulders. Henry snapped awake. More awake then he should be. This was new.  
"I'm sorry, Sammy! I'm just- I was tired."  
Sammy shrugged, then leaned closer to Henry. "Were your eyes always so gold...?"  
  
From down the corridor, Henry heard his name being called. Him and Sammy exchanged short glances before bolting for the hall.   
Alice, or Allison as she preferred, stumbled around with her Boris companion. "Henry!" She called again. 

"I'm here! I'm so glad to have found you guys." Henry smiled. Allison and Tom gave the brunette happy looks before turning to Sammy and raising their weapons.   
"Hold on! He isn't against us!" Henry shouted.   
"That- That monster! He killed us! He killed- he killed me. I- Oh my god- I- I can-" Allison gripped her head, "He killed us! He killed that poor kid! And Norman! Sammy I-"  
"That was, pre-loop-broken Sammy," The musician said with a small bow, "All this silly prophet requests is to get up to the music department, then you may slaughter me in cold ink."

Tom raised his inky brow, staring at him. He then paused.  
"You both remember, huh?"

Bendy stumbled through a wall, emerging back by Joey Drew's office. Ugh, that guy. he sounded like an amazing boss!

He limped towards the opposite side of the small maze, searching for something. He knew what it was. Henry had gotten hold of it before. Without his.... true potential, it posed no risk to Bendy. But now...  
  
The Ink Demon stared down at a pile of rocks, rubble and wood. He kicked side much of it, then scooped an enormous weapon up off the ground. It was a large, inky scythe.   
Bendy grinned. 

"Run me through all that again," Allison said calmly, tapping her chin. Sammy face palmed for the third time, turning away.   
"Oh Bendy..."  
"Ok, so," Henry huffed. He didn't mind spending time here. No ink demon, no loop to stop...   
"I walked into the machine, did what happened every loop. Except, instead of destroying Bendy.. temporarily... I thought of the stupidest thing. To break the reel. I thought, 'Hey! Maybe it'll stop this loop! Maybe I'll go home!' No, it just, He killed me. Then kicked me out."  
Tom silently snorted. He made a few hand gestures to Allison, softly smiling. Since he had gotten back his memories, Tom was.. both more brute and sweet. At least, to Allison.  
  
"What did he say?" Sammy budded in, his faceless head turning to all of them.   
"We should- get you back to the top. And, hopefully, there'll be others along the way. The more we can save, the safer we'll all be..."

An hour had passed. Or maybe two, or just a minute. Time wasn't very known down here, unless your watch still worked. Henry's didn't. Besides, he lost it on loop 94,567. He thinks.

"Welcome to the Haunted Mansion!" Henry said with a nervous grin as they approached the exit of the ride. The exit Allison and Tom had slipped Henry out of. Sammy looked happy. Seemed happy, it was hard to tell. Henry noticed some small things. Depending on the noises he made and how his hips swayed gave away his emotions. it was quite interesting...

"So! How much farther is it?" Sammy turned back to Henry, still walking along the tracks. Henry shrugged.   
"I'm not sure. It took me maybe four days to get from the end of the department from here. I stayed with Boris for a while. Slept, too. Could take, maybe... a day or two?"  
"I don't want to walk for five hours...!" Sammy groaned.

Five hours, that was about two days down here. Five hours _seemed like two days_. When you're trapped in an endless cycle of wood and ink, its hard _not_ to feel like you've been walking for eons after a few minutes. Everything was about the same. 

Henry pushed aside the small door, letting Allison and Tom slip in quickly. They froze.   
"What's the matter?" Henry asked as he and Sammy entered. There was a click behind them on the door.

In the middle of the room, standing on top of a sofa, stood Alice the Angel. 

_"Hello, Susie..."_


	3. Compromises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susie: >:D  
> Susie: <:O
> 
> Henry: :OOOO

Tom balled his mechanical fist up, glaring daggers at the Angel. She wasn't an Angel. That woman was _a demon._

Henry walked out before Allison, trying to reason with Alice. Before he could speak, she perked up.  
"Ah, Henry." She spoke softly. It was Susie.  
"Susie." He nodded.  
" I AM NO- I, I mean," She laughed, stepping down and sashaying over to the group. Allison and Tom looked ready to attack.. Sammy simply held his fists up, then grew distracted over a Bendy plush.

"You are- let me guess.. Taking the little 'sheep' back to his pen, hm?"

Henry looked at Susie, his gold eyes illuminated by the overhead light. "What are you planning, Angel?"

Susie grinned. On one side of her face, at least. It was hard to tell what expressions she made on her left. "Oh,a simple trade, really. In case you haven't noticed, this little 'loop' of the Ink Demon's was recently broken! An interesting thing, really..."

Sammy ducked behind Tom, knowing fully well what the Angel was getting at..

"I am free, free to choose where to go and who to help," She spoke plainly, "But, passage out of _my_ domain won't be free. I'm not asking for your little Boris, you _backstabbing bitch, Allison,_ I need... something stronger. To fix the mess the Ink Demon caused me."  
She turned to Henry. Henry stared back.

"No! You can't possibly-" Allison said in her soft toned voice. Susie waved her arm at her.   
"Hush! He isn't ink. He... he could fix me. And, if it fails, then he will just reset, wont he?  
The room fell silent.  
"She isn't wrong--"  
"Samuel Lawrence!"   
"Bing! Sammy agrees with me for once! Oh, give the man a pat on the back and a kiss from Bendy!" Susie spoke sarcastically, "You can't choose for Henry."

Henry stared down, his mind spinning. He's been here before.... No, he hasn't. Has he...?  
"I'll- Ok. I'll do it," Henry raised his hand, "But you must grant them full passage up to the music department. No catches, no nothing, Susie."

The Angel scowled before shrugging, then crossing her long arms. "A deal is a deal. You three, continue on. I'll let you through doors with my panels. Oh, and while you're at it, grab the Boris on your way out. He seemed terribly frightened when he woke back up..."

Tom grabbed Sammy by his inky shoulder, then stormed off with him. Allison turned to Henry a final time.   
"Henry, are you sure you know what you're doing?"  
Henry smiled, "I broke the loop, Allison. Try and save everyone. I've done all I can."

Allison gave Henry a last, lingering smile before running off. Henry blinked. In that short second, he had been thrown, then knocked out, then woke up in a dark room tied to a table.  
Knives. There were many knives.

He hard Susie speak into... something, before she walked slowly back to Henry. "Where do I start?" She grinned.  
Henry was so nervous. It would give the others time to find more workers, though. Everyone must have gotten some bits of their memories. They must be confused.. Scared. Henry had hope for Allison.

Henry's eyes watered as Susie approached him. Susie. Alice. Same difference, really..  
She grinned up at him eerily, "Where do I start...? Your guts? Your eyes? Your heart?" She giggled, then Alice spoke, "How's a girl to choose?"  
Henry screwed his eyes closed, pressing his back into the table. The faster she got this over with, the faster he could re-spawn. Problem was, she was going to most likely make this the most painful experience for Henry...

There was a thud, then a screech. The room around the two turned an even darker black, inky veins and shadows lining the wall. Susie shrieked.  
"How DARE you come in here?!" She shouted. Henry closed his eyes again.  
There was a snarl. Then, from somewhere, a distorted voice piped up. That voice...  
"Oh, **shut it** , Susie," The ink demon snarled. His words were barely audible. It's. Their's? It was.. difficult to choose pronouns for Bendy. Or whatever pronouns Bendy wanted to use. Huh.  
Henry could feel Bendy's gaze shift onto him. He just knew he was staring at him.  
"You think eatin' _him_ is gonna make a differen'ce? Henry's dangerous. You could just'a asked me, Susie!" The voice said. Henry, listening closer, could hear several voices mixed in with the demons. One stood out. He couldn't remember his name, but he was there.  
There was hints of Allison, and of Wally, and lots of... his own voice.  
He heard himself in there. Somewhere.

Susie stared up at the Ink Demon. "As if YOU'D help ME. Psha! Get out of here! Leave me to my-"  
"Listen, Susie," Bendy snarled again. It sounded more like... her this time. "Do ya want me to'a fix you or na? It's a simple offer really, just give me Henry."

Henry's eyes widened. He was right, Bendy had been staring at Henry the whole time. It made him shutter.  
"Alice-" Henry said.  
Susie raised her finger to the man, her lips pursed. She was considering it. Seriously?!  
"Alright," Susie said quickly, pushing a button to her side. The straps holding Henry down released.   
"Make me beautiful, Bendy."

Henry yelled as he was grabbed by the Ink Demon. His body was thrown over his shoulder, his face slamming into his inky back. Henry struggled around a bit, but fighting was useless. After all, Bendy could easily _kill him._  
He probably knew what would happen if he did.

Susie eagerly stared up at Bendy. "C'mon! Make both sides the same! Fix my face!" She chanted.  
Bendy stared at her, then gently held her by the chin with his gloved hand. He rubbed the one side of her face, then the next. He then pushed her away.  
"I mean," His grinned widened, "You didn't say _which side_ needed to reflect on the other."  
Then he walked into a wall, leaving the Angel with her broken face as he took what he wanted.

What he wanted to _destroy._


	4. Down Deeper... The Ink Demon, pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bendy: >:D  
> Bendy:... :O

Susie sobbed into her hands, clawing desperately at her poor face. She had been a fool to think the wretched demon would do anything in her favor. She had to do this the hard way. There was only one more Angel in the studio. She _needed her._  
  
  


Henry screamed as he was thrown down onto the wood floor by Bendy. He snarled.  
"Pipe down, would'ya?" He hissed in Henry's own tone. Well, a broken and disgusting form of his voice. It creeped Henry out.  
Bendy tilted his head.  
"What do you want," Henry snapped, "If you want to kill me, then just do it. I don't know why you haven't yet."

Bendy made a tsk noise, then grabbed Henry by his leg. He started to drag him, slowly, towards the little ink filled chambers.  
"You see, my dear creator," Bendy sneered with the same, familiar voice he had before. "You aren't so plain and human as I thought. All these loops, all these times you'd tried to change up _my_ story, you've _failed._ But this time, this time you... may succeed in destroying me."   
Henry pulled at his leg, waiting for his broken ankle to flare up again. It didn't. What?  
"What do you mean," Henry hissed through clenched teeth.  
Bendy chuckled down at him, then opened up a rather large case. He slid his finger down the glass, then looked to Henry.   
"You, my _friend_ , were brought here for one reason and one reason alone. To _destroy the ink demon._ You haven't figured it out yet, but you will. You're too close... you.."

Henry flinched as his leg was dropped. There was a pause, before the demon grabbed for Henry and held him by his neck.  
"You _need to die_ before you have a single _chance_ of figuring it out."  
Henry clawed at the inky hands wrapped on his throat. He swung and kicked, knowing how useless it was. He at least wanted to go down knowing he _tried_.  
Bendy placed him into the chamber roughly, slamming the glass door shut. He backed away, then smashed his fist into a button. Then a lever went down.

Henry punched the glass, screaming wildly as ink started to spray from over head and flow from below his feet. He was going to _drown. Drown in the ink._  
He didn't think this would be how he'd die. He's been through so much in this studio. Every loop produced a different death. But now he was _really dying._ He didn't know what would happen. Would the loop restart again? Or would he come back? Or is he just- going to die? _He's going to die!_

Henry tried to keep his head above the ink, but it flooded so quickly. He watched the Ink Demon rap on the glass with his fingers, then slowly walk away. Henry' vision went black. He took a final gasp, then his mouth closed tightly.   
He didn't know how long he had been under the ink. Minutes? Seconds? Hours?  
His lungs burned. So did his nose, and his eyes. Henry felt himself fading in and out of consciousness. Black. That's all he saw when his eyes tried to open.  
Henry made a mistake of inhaling. He forgot he had been _under_ the ink and not just in a dark room. He was so stupid sometimes.  
Then he passed out.

Bendy felt soemthing. _Despair_. He felt something die. Satisfied, he limped off to his throne room.  
Then he felt something... different.  
Hope.  
 _Hope._

 ** _He was alive._**  
Bendy growled with rage, storming back to where he had placed Henry. He turned off everything; He ripped open the case. Ink poured out, and spread everywhere. There was no sign of him. He _had_ to be dead. How could he not?  
He could have... no... how could he escape that? How could he disappear? It's impossible... he was ** _dead._**  
  


A man flinched, his eyes opening wide. His golden eyes.   
He looked around suspiciously. Who was he? Who am I?  
What happened?  
The ink covered man raised his hands. He had black finger tips and yellowish skin. Cool.  
He looked at the puddle that he sat in. Ink.  
He looked at his legs. Covered in ink.  
He felt his face. Felt like ink.   
He then passed out. 

Four minutes passed. That was quicker than it usually took for someone to _remember_. Then again, everyone could remember when they wanted. The reel was broken. The reel contained lots of precious memories.  
Henry gasped loudly, jumping upwards. He was alive! Alive? Well, more or less.  
Henry stumbled around, feeling the room. Large room, with wood and floors and walls. He wasn't _trapped_.   
Henry hugged himself tightly, smiling to himself. Then he.. felt something weird.  
He coughed up ink. _That was.. disgusting._  
He coughed up more ink. What was happening to him?  
Oh.   
Wait...  
What did... Bendy do? What happened to him...?  
He needed a mirror.

Henry started down the hallway, an odd glow to his surroundings. Everything was... lit up with a gold tint. He could see writings on the walls. It was in _gold._ Cool.

Henry rushed down the hall, making rights and lefts. He didn't know where he was going, he never did..  
Where was he?  
Henry slowed as he passed a bath room. A bathroom? How odd. There wasn't many of those down here. Then again, the studio was practically stretched and pulled out everywhere. Henry stumbled into it.  
He wiped his hand on the mirror, trying to clean off the ink. Then Henry stared, his eyes wide.  
His _gold eyes._

**He was ink.**

****


	5. Joey Drew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joey: <3  
> Henry: That's a good co m i c   
> Joey: :,)

_Well i'm going to free you now..!_

Joey snickered to himself, gliding his fountain pen across the light yellow paper. He sighed, staring at the small, wondrous panel in front of him. He liked this comic!   
So far, it was... fairly good! I mean, he was five chapters in. Henry made a good muse!  
Henry... Henry... _oh no-_

Joey quickly threw himself from his chair, stumbling over his bad leg. It was a mistake to think he was still as fragile as he was years ago.  
He was like, what, 40 now?  
Eh.

Joey brushed off some dandruff on his shirt and washed his ink stained hands. He spent a few minutes looking for his damned jacket and stumbling over furniture for his shoes before really getting anywhere. He scooped up a stack of pages, clipped them together, then rushed out of the house with his keys.

Down town, at a small coffee and sandwich shop, sat a lonely brunette tapping his fingers. He softly hummed a familiar tune to himself, one that sounded from a cartoon in the 1900's. He watched as as black haired male came stumbling down the street toward him. He paused; he had a wide smile on his face.  
"Henry!" Joey said with joy. Henry grinned.  
"It's nice to see ya, old pal."  
The two hugged, then sat down at the outside table.  
Joey sighed. "How's Linda?"  
Henry shrugged, looking around the street. It was very quiet downtown. It was surprising.  
"She's alright. Very skittish with me still. Poor girl went through a lot of trauma in her old house." Henry frowned, "Good kid, though. She has lots of ideas... lots of artistic talent... like you."  
"Still miss me?" Joey grinned slightly. Henry laughed, then slapped his shoulder from across the table.  
"In your dreams," He responded.  
"I have many of those," Joey winked, "Speaking! Of which! Here- you said you wanted to see 'em, right?" He placed down the stack of papers gently, sliding them to Henry. Henry's eyes went wide.  
"You- made all of those? Wow.."

"You're the main character, too!" The raven smiled. "I couldn't stop thinking about- back to the studio, fifteen years ago. I know it happened to me, I knew it. No one believed me.   
"But- hey! It's in comic form! Flip to the next few pages! C'mon!"

Henry stared down at the paper, scanning over it quickly before flipping it. He stared. "Is that - oh my god, Sammy?" Henry snorted.  
"Yup!" Joey laughed, "I can't wait to show him that, too! Ah, he'll slit my neck." Joey smirked, staring off, "Good times. Good times."  
"What's this- other stuff you've talked about? Being in a loop?"  
"Ah! Yeah! You see-" Joey leaned in to Henry, who copied his movements and leaned forward as well.

"Fifteen years ago- right?- when I just closed the studio- I was boarding up everything. Then- I saw something I'd thought that I've killed. I had to have killed it. It couldn't be alive!"  
Henry squinted his eyes, "What was 'it'?"  
Joey smiled awkwardly, then pointed at the horrifying drawing of Bendy on the page before Henry.  
"Him," Joey hissed, "Bendy. Exactly like that! He attacked me! Then I passed out, and everything you've read happened to me. Everything. It- Honestly, was like a long fever dream!"   
"Joey." Henry laughed, "Are you sure you didn't hit your head a few times back when we -"  
Joey's face reddened, but he kept the same serious look."No! No! Besides, _your_ head was closer to the headboard," He snickered, "I'm just- I know it happened. And the only way for me to get it out there is either write a horror novel or make a comic. You know I'm shit at writing! I had a whole department for it! So I went with comics. Do you like it?"  
Henry smiled softly, "Joey, I....  
  
  
  


**_I..._ **   
  


Henry shook his head, rubbing his hair. He stared longingly at the foggy mirror. The horns didn't seem to be _attached_ to him, but they... they were cool to him.   
Henry glanced around the small bathroom, staring at stalls and scanning walls slowly. He could see writing. _Gold writing._  
Most of it said "Have I been here before?" Or "Yea!" and more of "This is weird,"  
He laughed. Silly ink people and their messages to each other.   
There was one door that hung open loosely on its hinge. Henry gently pushed it open, then watched it fall. Above the toilet gold said, "Joey and I were in here once," Then another strand, "Nasty"  
Henry giggled to himself.

He looked down at the broken door, wanting to fix the poor thing. It probably broke from... well... Henry would rather not think about what happened in that stall.   
Henry stared at it. There was.. gold on it. That wasn't there before?  
Henry reached down and gently grabbed the door. He rubbed his thumb on one side, then looked back to see that his finger at left a gold smudge.  
He...  
He can write with gold?  
 _Something felt.. wrong._  
Henry dropped the door. It landed on his foot, making him gasp and jump back in both pain and regret. He then looked at his hands...  
Was he the one who had written all these messages? All this time..?  
 _Am I missing something?_  
How did he not remember that?   
_Hello..? What's... who..._  
It seemed like a key detail!

_Think Henry, think...!_

Henry closed his eyes tightly, squeezing his head. He backed into a wall, trying to remember. Trying to think why there was an empty gap in his head. What was he missing? What was so important about the gold ink?!

Then he fell backwards _._

Henry yelled as he crashed into the studio floor. He opened his eyes. The man was.. back on the first floor? Oh, sweet merciful Bendy! He was back!-  
Henry watched a dark haired man slowly walk through him. _What?_  
  
The man seemed to adjust a tie, then fix his posture. He smoothed back his hair, adjusted his sleeves. All the sorts of things a nervous person does.   
Henry's eyes squinted. Who are you?

The man turned, taking off his jacket and letting it fall behind him.  
His face.. was familiar.  
And his voice...  
his stance...

 ** _"Joey?_** "

The man, 'Joey', blinked, staring at Henry. Henry blinked back.  
He didn't say anything for a long moment.  
"You know, you sorta screwed over my story, dear friend." Joey said with a painfully fake smile. "I thought I had my own story memorized by now! But, look at you! That isn't my design at all! This isn't how the story was supposed to end! In fact I... don't even remember if the ending was every truly right or not."

Henry stood up slowly, walking to Joey. "What?"  
"You know!" Joey smiled, holding out a hand for Henry.   
"I don't," Henry replied quietly, reaching his hand outwards.  
Joey sighed, then looked up at Henry with a... real expression. A genuine, real expression. One of utter pain, regret, sorrow, and love.

"You do know, Henry," Jo spoke as he raised his hand, placing his palm on Henry's entire face. Henry's eyes went wide, then turned gold.  
"You were always better at finding ways to end the story...

**_"_ ** **You should already know how to kill your little devil darlin'.**

**_"You've just gotta remember how to end the story I... we made..."_ **


	6. The Loop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison: >:O  
> Susie: :O  
> Susie: >:O

_How does he..._   
_Ok_ _, Henry._   
_How would you end this story?_

Henry looked around the first level. He was... still up here.  
He had different memories, too.  
Different.... thoughts.  
Like they weren't his.

Henry shuffled over to the front door, being careful of the awkward gap in the floor. He opened the door.  
There was a long, black tunnel. Then it stopped.  
There was _no escape._

Henry bit his lower lip and turned away, staring down into the large gap in the floor. He his stung. His chest aches  
Henry leapt down into the broken floor, falling down it for just about the millionth time. He even let out the short cry like he had every other time. Henry crashed into the floorboards, then blacked out.  
 _Dead, Tunnel, Alive._  
That's how things seemed to work for Henry. Except when he had emerged from the inky abyss he... felt a little different. A lot lighter. It was hard to explain.  
Something cold and wet trickled down his forehead but- he didn't care at the time.

Henry walked with his hands in his pockets towards the music department, looking for any sign of- anyone, really.  
He opened the gate, and flipped on the power switch. Henry heard a noise.   
He went to investigate, but he wish that he hadn't.   
Inside the band room was, well, _the band._  
  
  
  
  


Allison nervously walked down the stairs, the new Boris guiding their way to the lift. Tom and him seemed to get along well- with their hands, of course.  
Allison didn't know exactly who the second Boris was, but she hoped they were... decently sane.  
Sammy shuffled alongside Allison.  
"Do you think Henry is alive?" He asked quite loudly, making Tom and the other dog look back at him.   
Sammy shrugged, "I mean it's been a while, hasn't it? Shouldn't we be- worried for him?"  
Allison snickered, "Since when do you care for anyone down here?"  
"Hey! I have a heart, you know. A cold, inky one, but it's still there!"

Tom held up his hand. Everyone stopped.  
"What is it, hun?" Allison asked quietly. Tom smiled a little.  
There were soft whimpers from the shadows. Like someone was crying.  
" _Have I caught your attention?"_ Alice spoke softly through speakers.  
The second Boris dove into Tom, trying to hold on to him. He was scared, obviously.  
Alice- Susie giggled through a muffled sob. Her breath hitched and she hiccuped before continuing.  
"Nothing ever goes as planned down here," She said coldly, "Ahead is the lift, I've set it for the Music Department. Feel free to leave whenever... unless you'd... like to pay me a small visit out of pity."  
There was a slam, then Susie seemed to have disappeared.

Allison sighed, "I'm going to go up to her."  
The second Boris turned around quickly, shaking his head and waving his hands.   
"He's saying don't-"  
"I know what he's saying, Lawrence."  
Sammy held his arms up, then backed off to the side.

Tom lovingly stared at Allison.   
"I know, I know. I'll be careful. I just want to... see what she's up to."  
With a few hugs later, Allison was marching her way up to Susie...  
  
  
  


"Another! It's another!" One of the ink people cried out, pointing to Henry. Henry flinched, looking around at all of them.  
Lost ones, he called them. There were at least twelve of them.   
Well... thirteen, as well as Jack the searcher.  
The 'band' all happily waved at Henry, then went back to moping and chatting quietly. He didn't exactly know _what_ they were talking aboutor _who_ they were, but at least they had their memories. And we're happy... ish.

Henry stared over at Jack and another lost one. This lost one, among many of the band members, looked different. They had more of a face, and had wiped off the ink over their mouth. He even had a little jacket... probably stolen. Or made of ink.  
Jack caught Henry's gaze, and quickly went into the ground. The lost one reached for Jack, then looked up.  
Henry slowly walked over, trying to not seem like a threat.   
"Hello," Henry said with a small smile.  
The lost one gave a cold glare, then sighed.  
"Hi," They said. He said. They had a masculine voice. Sounded... familiar.   
"Grant, is it?" Henry asked again, sitting beside Grant.  
He nodded.  
Henry folded his arms, looking around. The lost one followed where Henry's eyes looked.  
"Sammy seemed to be worried about you earlier," Henry said quietly. The ink man turned toward him.  
"What?"  
"Well, he just," Henry shrugged, "You two sounded close. He seemed worried about you in a way."  
"Where is he?"  
"We got... separated."  
  
  
  
  


"Susie," Allison said softly, knocking on the large metal door. It opened slowly.  
Allison didn't know where she were to walk, nor how she would get to the other Angel. She stepped in, her inky heels clicking on the wood.  
The door shut behind her after a few steps.  
Susie walked from the hallway as Allison approached.   
They both froze still.   
" _He ruined me,_ " Alice spoke softly, " _I thought he could fix me... I was a fool.."_  
Allison stared at the other, her eyes wide in fear and... well, pity.   
She did feel bad. Susie was a pretty woman when they first met. She had a better voice for Alice, too. Why Joey had fired her, she didn't know.   
"Did... Henry not work out?" She asked quietly.  
The other girl shook her head. "The _ink demon_. He came in at last minute... he claimed that he could fix me better than Henry... he took him. Left me like _this.._  
"But," Susie said now, sniffing, "Maybe... you could fix me." She smiled, "After all, we _do have the same face."_

Allison jumped as Susie longed for her. She kept her teeth clenched, and tried to grab Susie and push her away.  
The other angrily grabbed and clawed for her face, trying to do _something._ Allison was more confused then scared.  
She grabbed hold of the other Angel and pushed her away.  
"Susie!" Allison exclaimed, "Stop it, just stop! Calm down! You've got everything all wrong!"

Susie's eyebrows furrowed. "What?" She snapped, "What do you mean?"  
Allison gently held her face, then rubbed her thumb on one of the large gaps in her mouth. She moved down some ink, seemingly covering it up. She did the same for the other side, then started to pull at the ink making her face all bubbled up.  
Susie stared at the other. Confused. She had tried pulling at it before. Why... why was...  
"Your ink is unstable from Bendy,"  
Allison decided to explain, "So I'm able to remold you... and... there! You look like me now... minus the one eye and your wounded chest and the- well, a lot..."  
Susie raised her hand to the large stab wound above her bow, "Are you sure..?"  
"Doll, look in a mirror."

Susie hesitated, but then grabbed for Allison's sword. Al reached to stop her, but then she had a thought. She knew what she was doing.  
Susie stared at her reflection in the small blade. Her mouth gasped open. She _did_ look almost like Allison.   
Susie looked up at her, then down again at the blade. Susie grabbed her long, inky hair, then sliced it off.  
Ink fell down her shoulders, and left her with hair that fell right bellow her chin.  
"Thank you," She said with a genuine smile.   
Allison nodded, and held her hand out for the sword.  
Susie slowly placed it back into her hand, then watched the other spin it then rest it on her hip.  
"Would you like to come with us, Angel?" Allison said softly.  
Susie's eyes widened. "Me?"  
Allison nodded. "Yes."  
Susie tapped her fingers together, then nodded furiously.

"I'd love to."


	7. Golden Ink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammy: he doesn't speak Chinese, dingdong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bendy towards the end makes no sense so dont mind him. im just too lazy to fix it :/

Susie awkwardly stood in front of the lift beside Allison, staring at the two dogs inside.  
Tom kept trying to reach for the button, but the other dog (who's name was 'Buddy', as the wolf  
signed previously and revealed to them) pulled him away. There was no help from Sammy, who just laughed and stood off to the side  
"Buddy," Allison said. She gave a confused look to Tom, who nodded back, "Let us in. I know that Susie isn't the most trustable but- I won't let her eat you." She smiled. "And Lawrence, when I get in there, I _will beat you to a pulp."_  
Sammy and Buddy looked at Allison, hesitant to do much. They both shifted awkwardly. Then there was a ding. The elevator started to go up.   
"Hey! No! You're supposed to wait for us!" Susie called up as the lift rose.  
Allison touched Susie's shoulder, "They'll be back. Probably pressed the wrong button.."

Henry stood before the lift, his hands in his pockets. Jack was bent behind Grant, holding on to the lost one's leg.   
"It's ok, Jack. We'll just let Henry get to his _friends,_ then we can go back."  
Henry glanced at the accountant with a wry smile. "Thank you," he mumbled.  
As the lift approached, three figures stood on it.   
Tom, another Boris, and-

"Lawrence?"  
"Cohen?!"  
Henry stumbled to the side while the two ink people embraced each other. They exchanged small words quietly, Henry decided to give the two space.

"Are you alright?"

Tom stared at Henry, then tilted his head.  
"It's- Henry."  
Tom rolled his eyes and nodded.   
"Oh. You- know I'm Henry?"  
Tom pointed at his throat, then nodded.  
"Ah, my voice? Um-"  
Tom made a bunch of hand gestures, trying to sign something to Henry. Henry couldn't follow along.

"He doesn't speak Chinese, dingus," Sammy said from the side, Grant in his arms still. His remark made Tom's eyebrow line furrow even farther. Sammy continued, "The other's name is Buddy, Henry... Hey, how come when _YOU_ get turned into ink, you get to keep your handsome face! But when _I AM-"_  
"Sammy."  
"Er- Right, right. Ugh... C'mon, get on the lift. There's an Angel waiting for us."  
Grant turned to Jack, who nudged toward the lift. Grant nodded to him, and Sammy smiled- at least, tried to.  
"Off we go, sheeps!"  
  


Susie and Allison stared at each other quietly. There wasn't much for them to say. Allison wasn't the most talkative person. They longingly hoped that one of them would spark a conversation, or that the lift would return down. At the last second, they both blurted out to each other-  
"I'm sorry!"  
"You're sorry?!"  
"Yes-! I- I took your job, you were so much better at Alice than I was. I didn't mean to-"  
"Allison, we both had no idea! If anything it was all Joey's fault."

_Ow, that's rather harsh. I cant even remember how my own comic ends! At least I gave you all a conscious. You can be thankful for your memories..._

Allison and Susie side-hugged each other, watching the lift descend back into place. Upon the lift returning, two more people stood firmly. Two ink people..  
Allison stared hesitantly.  
"Allison- and Susie? Did Bendy actually fix you?" Henry spoke.  
Allison's eyes widened. "Henry-"  
Susie crossed her arms, "ACTUALLY, Mr, _Allison_ did. Not _you_ , not _the Ink Demon._ "  
Henry chuckled a bit. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You did a good job, Al-"  
"Ok, Wait," Allison stopped them, "Who is? Ok, just... Explain."

"Oh- um, ok. Lighting round, let's see," Henry inhaled, then shook his arms, then took another breath. "Bendy tried to kill me. Well, I don't know what he tried to do, really. Turned me into ink, brought out... something inside of me. Said I was the key to killing him, yeah. This is Grant, I found him in the Music Department- say hi- there we go. Grant remembers who he is, so does just about every other thing in this place. Almost like everyone was slaughtered one day and- yeah. Uh- I talked to a- vision? Of Joey? Yes- no?- Yes! Ok- Said he forgot something, that I'll know how to end this story. And finally, my hands I can- make that gold ink you saw, Allison. I think I was the one who left in- the other loops... woo, that's a lot."  
Everyone blinked, seemingly at the same time.  
Henry sighed, and couldn't help but to laugh. "Did I go too fast?"

"About- the gold ink hand thing," Sammy asked, pointing his finger at Henry, "I've never seen anything 'gold' here. What the hell is he talking about?"  
"In- some places there's golden ink on the walls. I had a glass tool that- helped you see it. I don't know where Henry left it, but- I guess if he _did_ leave the gold all these loops it would explain why they never lead me anywhere. But..."

They stared at Henry's hands, which glowed a light yellow. "How does gold ink help against the demon?"  
"There has to be _some_ way," Susie shrugged, "Or else why would Bendy want to destroy Henry so badly?"  
"Maybe it... is the gold ink," Grant suggested quietly.  
"Hm?"  
"I just," Grant huffed, "Maybe Bendy was hoping to coat Henry in ink instead of bring out his inner form. Which would explain why he looks much more different than the rest of us, and why the gold is showing itself more clearly now. Because Henry _is_ the gold ink. Bendy wanted to cover it up, hide it, hope that Henry wouldn't find out.."  
"And that's why the demon wanted him gone. Because if Henry got too strong.. too aware.." Allison added.

Henry stared at his hands, which pulsed gold.  
"I'd have the chance to destroy the Ink Demon."  
"But then how could Henry leave the gold writings before this timeline?" Susie asked.  
"If Bendy wanted to hide it," Sammy muttered.  
"Henry must have found out other times, then," Allison smiled, "This must be how the true story goes. Henry destroys the demon with gold ink. The reel must be a distraction.  
"Bendy must have let Henry slip a few times before. He must have. Henry just didn't understand any of it- so he didn't destroy everything before. But now..."  
"We've gotten close."   
"Too close for him to be comfortable," Sammy grinned behind the ink.  
"So now, we just have to... figure out how it works, how Henry needs to do it and-"  
"Then we kill the demon."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The Ink Demon howled in rage, slamming into another glass case. He ripped the door off and threw it across the hall. He screamed loudly.  
" **Why?! Oh why did he make me** ** _such a fool?!_** " Bendy limped to another door, tearing it off. "Why couldn't he have used someone else?! Henry, Allison, Thomas; oh I would have been fine with _SAMMY_ for hells sake! But _JOEY_?! THIS MORON?! OH, **He lead me to my** ** _demise_** **!** "

Bendy slammed his hands down into the wall. A odd sound came from the demon. It sounded like a sob...  
"Fine, fine... If I can't kill Henry _my way,_ I'll _find a way_ that's more _acceptable_ for the story, Joey...

" **Even if it means**  
 ** _coming back up there..._** "


	8. That's My Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bendy: >:D  
> Henry: >:DD  
> Bendy: >:OO

Joey smiled warmly at Henry, leaning on his palm. He watched the other read through his art, satisfaction falling on his face when Henry smiled at good parts, then frowned at the bad. His interest made Joey feel so happy.  
"This _is_ really good," Henry chuckled, holding the papers still. "I'm interested in how you came up- or- experienced all this. How are you planning to end it?"

Joey's smile faded, "I... oh. Ending? Ah, I haven't thought that far ahead I guess. When I- ended it for myself, it was more of me waking up in a hospital. Can't remember _why_ but that isn't important! How would you suggest it end, Henry?"

Henry rapped his chin. "Do you have pen and paper on you?"  
"Always."  
  
  


Henry and the other stumbled back into the music department. Sammy and Grant went to talk with the other band members, ultimately leaving their group for a while.   
Susie, on the other hand, seemed... way too calm and ok with everything. She had been so distraught, so angry before. Now she... just by her face being changed, Susie joined their side.  
"Henry? What now?" Allison asked, standing beside the two Boris'. Henry shrugged his inky shoulders.  
"I can't leave this place through the exit. We'll have to figure out a way to stop Bendy quickly if we want to leave."  
"How do we find the demon? Run around until he shows up?" Susie scoffed.  
They all blinked, then turned toward Henry.

Henry stomped his feet, shouting loudly through the hallway. He glared down at the four standing in a doorway. "I feel so stupid," He said quietly.  
The hall darkened. Bendy was near.

**"Found you."**

Henry flinched, turning around to watch as the Ink Demon screech and lunge for him. Henry panicked, and backed up. What could he do, what could he do, what...  
His hands.  
The Ink Demon grabbed Henry tightly by the throat, holding him off the ground. He growled lowly, his ink melting and dripping. His voice- the voices all slurred and gurgled together, creating a distorted tone that he spoke with. " _You're a dead man._ "  
Henry choked on air, grasping at Bendy's hand. C'mon, Henry, do something. Do something with the ink!

Henry's hand shakily reached up to the demon's face, his focus all going to the gold ink in his hand. The demon squeezed harder, hoping to do something to Henry. _Anything._ He had to keep him from-  
There was a bright yellow flash.   
Bendy let out a howl, jumping back and throwing Henry forward. Henry gasped loudly, scratching his throat. Thank  
 _god_ that worked...  
The demon held his face for a moment, before looking up at Henry. From where Henry has touched Bendy now was a golden handprint that glowed bright, revealing an eye under Bendy's ink. It was bloodshot...  
The demon huffed, slowly taking a step toward Henry. The print faded away, letting ink seep back down onto his face.   
Henry stepped back again.   
"Henry, go, run," Allison said as she ran to his side, blade in her hand. Tom was on his other side.   
"No- No, you two aren't-"  
"The more the merrier, you'll all _die_ ** _anyways._** " Bendy hissed before lunging for them, his fists growing in size.   
Henry held his hands out again, the gold ink glowing bright. Bendy's eye's widened- under the ink— and he quickly turned to the wall and disappeared.  
"He's... scared of you," Allison said, amazed.  
Susie and Buddy both stood back in the doorway, hesitant.  
" _Is he gone_?" Alice asked quietly.

"Yes," Henry said back to them, "I wish he was forever gone. But we can't have our cake and eat it too.."  
"That is the stupidest saying ever," Allison giggled.

"I don't think I said it right," Henry shrugged, turning. He smiled at Thomas.  
"C'mon, lets get back. We know how to harm him now, at least..."  
  


"You did WHAT?!" Sammy yelled in shock, staring toward Henry and Allison.  
Grant was at his side.   
"You- hurt him? So I was right, it's the gold, right?"  
"It's the gold," Henry smiled. "One touch and some focus seemed to do a lot on him. If I can somehow manage to get a big enough blast.."  
"We'll destroy my lord!" Sammy  
cried out. They all fell silent.

"Er- Our lord! Bendy! Argh, I'm battling my own conscious and the odd version of myself that Bendy created.."  
Henry shrugged a bit, then looked to the side. That Bendy created...

"Something wrong?" Susie asked as she approached, "Is it me?"  
"Yes."  
"No," Allison glared at Sammy, who placed his hands in his pockets and walked off with Grant. Susie frowned.  
"Oh, I'm sorry.. I guess my mere presence is just.. horrible."  
"No," Henry said calmly, "I'm just worried. I have never gotten this far... The loop can reset at anytime. Or Bendy... it can.."  
Buddy placed his hands on Henry's shoulder.  
"Buddy, right?"  
He nodded. Henry paused for a moment. He looked back up at Buddy.  
"You were the one who took me to the safe house, weren't you?"  
Buddy again nodded, a small glint in his eye.  
"Thank you, Buddy. I never got a chance to say that. You uh... eh."  
The wolf shrugged, then nuzzled Henry gently.

"We need a plan," Grant said, stumbling back over. He adjusted his jacket.  
"You can't just storm into the ink  
machine again and expect to simply defeat this demon. You have to have some sort of... idea."  
"Grant is right, we need like a map or something. A layout."

A lost one walked over with some yellow toned paper and a jar of ink. A quill sat in it, begging to be used.  
Henry grinned. It had been so long since he'd used one of these... Now a days he used fountain pens...

Henry gently took the paper and ink, then gave thanks to the ink person. He kneeled down, spreading the paper carefully on the wood. Everyone leaned over, watching closely.

" _Whats step one, Allison?_ "


	9. Hope and Despair!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bendy: >:DD  
> Henry: war noises

Henry doodled a small drawing on the card with the fountain pen, smiling a little. "Ok, I have a general idea. I'm still rusty." Henry laughed.  
Joey leaned forward, smiling. "Go on?"  
"You- Erm, me, uh- go back to the gold ink thing. I liked that touch. Maybe 'Henry' is made of the gold ink and such. That's the only way to destroy Bendy."  
Joey rubbed his chin, grin still plastered on his face. "That's.. not half bad. That's not bad- it's not. It's good. I like it." Joey chuckled, "You've still got your creative mind after all this time, huh?"  
Henry shrugged, "It never goes away."  
Joey glanced as a waiter placed down an appetizer that they had ordered ages ago. Both of them stared at the fries.  
Then they fought over who got the larger ones.  
  


Henry has started off using the quill, but quickly gave up on that, and decided to just use his finger.  
The ink seemingly absorbed into his skin, but he was still able to somewhat write on the page for a little before having to dip it back in. It... kinda stung.  
Allison had a good idea. It was more for everyone but him. The plan was to get everyone to the first floor, everyone. If they could block Bendy off in several ways, Henry would be able to get to him easier.  
About halfway through writing it, Henry had his own idea.  
"Allison," He said, snapping his head up.  
Allison looked to him, "Hmm?"  
"The exit- the- it leads to an empty, ink room. If I can... If I can walk in there, see how much room we have, maybe we can.."

"He'll get stuck in there. Bendy isn't the best in his own ink." Grant piped up, brushing a small piece of dust off Sammy's shoulder quickly. " Sorry- ok, uh, He'll get stuck in the ink. But he's too smart to willingly go into the ink. If we can block him off, like Allison was explaining, then maybe we'll have a shot at pushing him or forcing him in there."  
Allison nodded, then took the ink and quill from Henry. "I'll continue with this, do you think you can make it back up to the first floor again?"  
Henry stood now, "I think I can."  
"Good luck."  
  
  


Henry stared down at the now cleared stairwell. He's never gone down the music departments exit. The stairs.   
Sammy always stopped him.  
Henry took one step down, then heard he music director call back to him.  
Guess he _always_ stopped him.

"Henry! Wait- oh." Sammy said. He quickly approached, then hopped on to the first step. "I'm coming along."  
"Ok."  
"You- aren't objecting to me?" Sammy asked cautiously.  
"Why- would I? We're sorta like friends now, I trust you to not murder me." Henry smiled, walking down the rest of the steps with Sammy not too far behind.

Henry wasn't _too sure_ why Sammy wanted to come along. Either Allison sent him or he just wanted to. Or- he would find the entrance, then go back, and lead everyone up.  
That was more logical. Good call, Allison.  
The two boys got to a large gap in the stairs. There was a step that went up four almost five feet, which would be hard to reach from the step they were on. Henry helped Sammy up first, grabbing him by the waist and helping the music director grab on. Sammy then reached down and helped Henry.

"Well, here we are," Henry said as he opened a closet door, leading in to the first floor. "I don't think you can make it back down to the others that way."  
Sammy huffed. "Of course not. That's how things work around here, isn't it?"

Henry giggled lightly and headed back for the exit. There was something that he had forgotten earlier. Which sucked.  
The gap in the floor, it was massive.  
That was the only way back down, and it was the only thing that they needed to fix before this plan became nearly foolproof. If the gap stayed, Bendy wouldn't go near the exit.

"Sammy, do you think you'll survive that drop?" Henry asked and pointed to the hole. Sammy's body language made him assume that he was uncomfortable.  
"It's ok, I won't force you to-"  
"No, I'll make it. I just." He shuddered. "There's some- things at the front of the music department's entrance. The coffins? Those..."   
Henry blinked. "Those bother you?"  
"Only because I- I know who's in which ones... I put them there..." Sammy gripped his head, "Ugh, I'll do it, I'll do it. I need to man up for once. Move." He snapped.   
Sammy was about to jump in- then his body stopped him. The ink didn't want him to leave the first level. And drop. Mostly drop.  
"What? No, hey, jump." He tried again, then stopped.  
"Henry, do you think you- AHH!"   
Henry shoved Sammy lightly. Well, more like he full on pushed him. It got a little of his anger out that he had bottled up from wayyyyyyyy before.   
"Sorry!" he called.

There was a thud. Then a small groan. Then finally, "It's alright! Do you need me to get boards or something?"  
"Yeah," Henry screamed down, "Boards, rope, maybe some ink."  
"You've got too much of that stuff up there!" Sammy laughed, "I'll be back, don't die." 

Sammy winced at his foot. For the first time in a long while, it hurt. Like utter hell. Well, this was Hell.  
It hurt like Heaven.  
Sammy moved through the floor quickly, picking up every nice and not broken board he could. As he limped past the coffins, a wave of sadness crashed over him.   
"Sorry, Shawn," He whispered, touching one softly, "Sorry Lacie..."

He turned a corner, then remembered something. How was Grant...   
His coffin was open.  
Open.  
Sammy dropped the boards, then dove back into the last room. He ripped the coffins open, watching ink slowly pour down. There was nothing in these...  
They were- alive? Oh my god, they were alive-  
Ink but, alive.

Sammy cheered to himself, then quickly picked the boards back up and limp-ran to the music department.  
He was happier, of course.

"Guys! Ok, I know how to get up, but we have to block off the way back. The gap would prevent my L- B-Bendy from even going near the exit." He gasped, walking into the room. He was out of breath.  
"So- boards, rope, then we get everyone up?"  
"Yes," Sammy smiled, or at least tried to show that he was happy with his hands. He missed his face...

Everyone looked for supplies on the music level. Thomas and Allison went back to look for other people in lower levels. They needed everyone they could.  
Sammy stepped off to the side with Grant, the two ink people exchanging looks for a moment.

"I think Shawn is alive," Sammy said quietly.  
Grant's mouth gaped open, "What?! He-" He clutched his jacket, rubbing the small name stitched on to the side. It was a small detail, barely noticeable. It said 'Flynn' on it.

"Is he? Could he-"  
"The coffins are all empty," He sighed, "Yours was the only one that was open. You were the last to come out, I guess."  
Grant leaned on to Sammy. "Oh my god, they're all alive somewhere... That's great.." His tone was filled with joy, but Grant was exhausted. And super excited. But mostly tired.  
He didn't know why.  
Sammy felt tired, too. He was sure that everyone did.. Something must jj ave happened with the ink, he assumed. It shifts sometimes. Sometimes a good shift, sometimes... a crazy shift.

Henry had made the jump over the gap, and now stood at the door. He was nervous to open it... He didn't know why.  
A wave of exhaustion wiped over him. He nearly fell to his knees, but it passed more quickly then it had came. He shrugged.  
Henry hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure what he would find after this door had been opened. A large sandy desert? The third dimension? The outside...?  
Henry opened the door. Nope, it was just ink.  
The ink stretched on for miles, making an endlessly seeming black void.  
Henry slowly stepped in. His leg flared up, then quickly faded. He wanted to scream but- it wasn't _that bad_ after you got used to the radioactive like burns.  
He took another step. He stood above the ink, not sinking in like he would normally do. He walked on the perimeter of the room, taking about fifty steps all directions. Both left and right stretched on forever. So did the rest of the room.  
It was just a large, ink void. As he had said.  
Henry heard his name being called, so he walked out of the room and closed the door gently.  
Sammy and Susie, along with Boris, Grant and other lost ones, had came back with boards and rope.   
Henry helped lay down the boards, then tie them into place. He adjusted the position so that it would look normal, but also cover the hole. He walked over it. Then jumped, making Sammy grow nervous.  
"It's sturdy, we'll be fine. Hopefully he won't notice that it's bendable but," Henry pushed down on the boards. They wiggled, but stayed strong.  
"It's good."  
  
  
  


The Ink Demon nervously trembled in his throne, his inky body shaking. He curled himself up, staring ahead. He was _exhausted._ He knew that he wouldn't win. He was going to die here... unless.

He stared down at the broken tape that lay in a pile. He had kicked them out of anger, then it hurt his foot.   
The demon thought for a moment. It was broken. That was out of the question... but he could...  
His shivering stopped.  
He.. it wouldn't work. Would it? Haha.. it could.   
The demon growled with glee, standing up slowly. He took small steps down, his limp slowly becoming more of a normal walk. He knew he was in there somewhere... he could mimic the shape. He had done so before, with many lost ones. It was how he would blend in. Watch Henry.   
He shrunk down a foot, then held on to the wall.  
Everyone. He felt everyone at once. _They were hopeful. Hope._  
He could feel himself, though, and he felt another presence inside of himself. _Despair._ That was the only true emotion he could feel. Utter rage and _despair_.

The demon let out a chuckle, which was in a familiar tone. This wasn't how it was supposed to go... but if he wanted it _his way_ , wanted to have things go _correctly_ , he had to just wing it from now til the end.   
Changing it up. Everyone forgets their story sometimes. That just sparks open doors! Small, creative little doors..  
  
Joey Drew smiled brightly, staring down at his hands as the ink faded into yellowish skin. He sighed, then leaned off the wall.  
"You want an ending, Henry?

"I'll **_give you an ending._** "


	10. The Archives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry: dies  
> Joey: <3333333

'Joey' calmly emerged back up onto level one, as he heard the most commotion coming from up there. He looked around cautiously, then heard the voices pick up again.  
He wasn't _fully_ Joey, as some may lead on to believe. He simply had the man's form down pat. It was too easy. His voice, too. Joey had been around the demon the longest.  
And Henry had been around Joey.

Henry wiped his forehead, staring down at the boards a final time. This will work.  
It had to.  
He looked at his arm, he didn't know why. He was already covered in ink, it wasn't like he'd be able to _see_ the ink he just wiped off himself on his ink coated arm.   
He heard a faint chuckle, which made him look up. Allison and Tim still hasn't returned, but a few more lost ones had made it up. The second Bendy was gone, Henry thought, they could could escape. All of them...  
There it was again. The chuckle.   
Henry turned around, and his gold eyes immediately widened.   
"Joey?" He said quietly.

There he had stood. Joey Drew and his ink-stained arms, his smile wide as always. His hands were in his pockets, and his eyes were big. He laughed again.  
"What's all this for, Henry?"  
Henry hesitated, but ran to Joey. He wrapped his arms around the other, stopping a sob from leaving his throat.   
"I listened to you. I found a way to kill Bendy."  
Joey stared straight ahead, not moving to look down at Henry until the other looked up. His smile turned to a small grin.  
So it was Joey's idea, eh?  
Haha..  
Didn't matter. It wouldn't work.  
Joey glanced to the side. "Y'know, Henry, I made more than one of those.. those tapes." He shrugged, "Could always go back to that."  
"You mean- just- reset the time line?" He stammered, letting go of the other slowly. "Why would I-"  
"Because it's. It's just how the story goes..."  
  


"Ok, hear me out," Henry said, bits of potato on his lower lip. Joey laughed, and reached across to wipe Henry's mouth.  
"Thanks. Ok-" Henry smiled, "What if you gave Bendy some... like better control over this whole place. He like- he's satan in an internal hell.  
"No matter what you did, Bendy always had control over one thing. Bendy can be the most _useless_ person down there- or, thing- but he always had a one up on everyone."  
"But what would it be?"  
"Maybe..."  
  


"... Because that's how _you wrote it._ " Joey said coldly, his eyes staring straight into Henry's. Henry's happy smile faded to a confused frown.  
"What?"  
"Look, Henry! I'm just- I want everything to get **back on track.** " Joey's voice distorted for a moment. He cleared his throat, then smiled. Henry could tell it was fake. It was obvious it was fake..  
"And the easiest way to do that- is to play the little reel, and let me work my _magic._ You can't kill me! I'm the god of this place! I'll always have a one-up on you, like you said! A super power! And no matter what you try, I can always just turn it right back to _a puddle of_ ** _ink._** " The black liquid dripped from the corners of Joey's forehead as he took a step forward to Henry. Henry backed away quickly. It was Bendy. Oh, for fu...

"Ok! So..." Joey rubbed his chin, then picked up the fork on his right. He stared at it. Nice silverware..  
He pointed it at Henry. "Henry is made of this golden ink. He is like- the hero, ok? So... Henry, this gold ink, is the only thing that can stop Bendy. Back to the end reel- the reel I had made. Has a nice tape to go with it." Henry laughed.  
"This reel, is made of the gold ink, too. It contains just about everyone's memories and stuff. Henry plays the tape every time with the intent on killing Bendy, but that isn't what actually happens. Instead it gives him his _own_ consciousness back. And then he sees me?"  
Henry nodded, "Yeah,"  
"Then how would this loop you talked about restart?"  
"Because Bendy..."

Joey gave up on slow attacks. If Henry was doing this _his way_ , he'd do it _his way too._  
As if that wasn't already what he intended.. What was happening today?

Joey lunges at Henry, who made a swift turn for the door. Joey stumbled up, ink pouring down the sides of his face from his black hair. He sighed angrily.  
"Henry, you aren't going to make any progress by running!" He called, walking swiftly.  
Henry ran for the exit, swinging it open. He backed up into the ink-filled room.

Joey crossed the planks, then stared down into the room with an unamused curl of his lip. He snarled, "Really? You think i'm stupid?"  
"No," Henry smiled calmly.  
The demon backed away with a step at a time, his hands being coated in the ink once again. He glanced up at Henry.  
From behind, Henry heard a small shuffle. He knew that they had heard them. The commotion wouldn't have gone unnoticed.  
Joey was pushed in swiftly by Sammy and Buddy, who then slammed the door closed quickly.   
"You're on your own, Henry!" Susie called. Henry nodded.  
Joey stumbled in the ink for a moment, staring down nervously at it. He huffed.  
"Well then," Joey hissed, the voices all chiming in at once. He smirked at Henry, clutching his hands.  
"Let's make this _fun._ "

About ten minutes passed. Henry was constantly dodging the other 'man', trying his hardest not to fall. Bendy seemed... well, not stuck. At all.   
Why? Why was that...  
As Joey swung for Henry, he snapped from his small thought process and fell back into the ink. Joey reached his hands down and grabbed Henry by the neck.  
The other stung. The ink.. it almost hurt him. Henry grabbed Joey's arms and kicked himself up, throwing the demon down into the ink. Joey yelled.  
Bendy's hands flung down into the ink, flailing helplessly to try and get himself up. Henry held him down.  
"No! You're.. staying right there," He growled, his hands starting to glow.  
Bendy let this loop go too far. He didn't know _why_ he hadn't just done this in the beginning. It would have been.. more logical.  
But he liked watching the hope fade from Henry's face each time the loop had reset.  
Joey smirked up at Henry, then it was Bendy. Then he blacked out.

"..Bendy would have been ability to just- reset the story. He'd only use it when the reel played, giving Henry the satisfaction of watching Bendy seemingly fade away. So that way, the reel was a distraction from the true way to destroy him. But, if Henry got too close to actually killing him, he'd let him. And give Henry the false hope of winning.   
"So, pretty much, Bendy would have a sadistic mind and all that. If Henry were to be about to destroy Bendy, he'd reset the time line there instead of when Henry would remember."  
Joey stared in awe.  
"What?" He chuckled.  
"I swear, this is why I love ya."  
"Because my ideas are easy to steal?"  
"What? No!" Joey laughed. The waiter placed a small check on their table.  
It was small. Nothing much.  
Joey reached to his pocket.  
"Hey uh, Hen? I uh- forgot my wallet."

Henry huffed loudly. Joey smiled a little.  
"I'll pay ya back.."  
  


Henry opened his eyes inside a large room. He looked around quietly.  
There were statues of everyone. It was like a large maze.  
Had he.. had he done it?  
Had he defeated Bendy?

Henry looked at his hands. He was human. Human was.. Human was good!

He walked around the room, staring at everything. Bits of memories and happiness flooded to him, staring at each piece like it was for the first time in a while.   
Some pieces had multiple statues. Bendy had the most. He had been through a lot of character development..

Henry circled back around to an  
empty pedestal. He stared at it.  
Henry Stein.  
Was this.. for him?  
Henry slowly took a step up onto it. He smiled.  
Then something clicked.   
  


Henry stared down at the ink machine. "You kept this piece of junk?" He laughed. "It looks so broken and old. My god, Joey."  
Joey shrugged, sitting down on the couch. A small golden haired girl ran from the same room as Henry, plopping on to the couch.  
"Hello, Linda." Joey said with a smile.  
"Hi, uncle Joey." She giggled.  
"Uncle?" Joey looked to Henry. Henry shrugged. "You can just call him Joey, baby."  
"Dad."  
"That works, too." Henry snickered, sitting in a chair.  
"Can you tell me a story? I know you have lots." Linda said with a smile. Joey leaned forward.  
"Well, as a matter of fact, I do." Joey cleared his throat. "It's about Henry, too. Once upon a time..."  
  


Henry's vision faded back. He stared down a long hallway, no other thought in his mind but...  
 ** _"Alright, Joey, I'm here. Let's see if I can find what you wanted me to see..."_**  
  
  
  


_Bendy had that small ability that Henry had given him. Bendy didn't exactly always have his own mind, either. Right at the end he would remember, 'oh! I can do this!' and reset the time line._   
_Henry had been given false hope. But, one day, he would destroy Bendy before he got a chance to remember that ability. He would escape one day._   
_But for now, Henry was just the main character in a story that was told to a young girl._

**_"Tell me another one, Joey."_ **


End file.
